Count on us
by whispers-of-raspberries
Summary: When team 7 and team 10 have their usual drink this Saturday night, they quickly understand it’s not going to be so usual. Who could have guessed what they will go through with just five drinks?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Well, here is my new fanfic... Hope you will enjoy it! **

**Characters**: Naruto, Sakura, Choji, Ino, Shikamaru  
'_Blablabla'_: thoughts  
'_**Blablabla'**_: inner Sakura

___

Chapter 1:

"I'm coming!"

She ran as fast as she could down the stairs, grabbed her coat and slammed the door after her. Seeing her mom in the garden, she told her she was going out and probably won't be coming home early. The night was cool and she was enjoying her little walk with her only teammate left. Naruto was indeed her teammate but also her best friend and maybe a little more than she would admit. She loved his smile and his never ending determination, his stubbornness and his messy hair, his horrible favorite color and food. She loved everything everyone would surely hate about him, but was always positively sure she still loved a certain Sasuke Uchiha, her lost teammate. But there she was, not dreaming or crying about the raven-haired boy but walking with Naruto. She was going to have a drink with team 10 and what's left of team 7 that consists of only her and Naruto, like every Saturday. She sure enjoyed their little reunion that always end up with her and Ino shouting at each other and the boys laughing at them, which would result in Sakura hitting Naruto. The next morning, of course, everyone had already forgotten everything and the week would pass like every other week, between missions and day off. Life was predictable, or she though so…

"You can only drink five glasses of the bottle. Each glass is different and brings the whole group into a new state... Now, you must be ready to encounter every…" When they arrived, team 10 was already there and listening to a much exited Kakashi.

"There you are… I got tired of waiting for you so I started my explanations."

"HE got tired of waiting? It makes me laugh!" whispered Sakura to Naruto, "Has he forgotten he always makes us wait?"

"Yeah, that's right!"

"Hey, what are you talking about you two?"

"Nothing sensei… Forget it. What explanations are you talking about? Is it a mission?" asked Naruto pretty exited too now.

"No, not really… I'm offering you a little game. This bottle I brought is filled with liquid chakra. You can only take 5 drinks out of the bottle but every glass allows a group of five people to travel to another world. I cannot tell you how the different worlds are because each person has one. I know mine…" His thoughts flew away for a second before he started again. "Well, if you are ready, I'll give you the bottle… but I must warn you: in each world, one of you will be put to the test and it's up to this person to bring back everyone to the real world. So?"

"I'm in!!!" shouted Naruto.

"I should have guessed… Anyone else?"

"I guess I can't let my teammate do it alone…"

"Naruto, Sakura…"

"And I can't let my best friend and rival. I'll have something to tell everyone tomorrow!"

"If you come back…" said Kakashi smiling under his mask.

"Come on Choji, we have to go with Ino… no choice but way troublesome."

"Good, everyone's in… Good luck, I hope to see you alive soon."

___

They all looked at the bottle as if it was going to move and start talking. They were waiting for someone to decide what to do.

"Well, someone has to drink the first glass, who's up to it?" Nobody moved. Shikamaru sighed "I see, so be it…" Everyone looked at him relieved. He took the bottle and said: "It will be Choji…"

"What? Why not you?" Choji was becoming red.

"You're thirsty, that's why, well I thought so…" Shikamaru said nervously, knowing it was not a good idea to upset Choji. Choji seemed to be calmer, he breathed in and simply stated:

"Okay then."

He took the bottle and poured some in his glass. Five pairs of eyes were fixing him. When the liquid chakra filled the glass, it was a very light green. "Bah, it looks like tea… Do I really need to drink this?"

"Oh come on Choji, said Ino, you know you do if we want to start playing…" Pulling faces, Choji held the glass and drank it. One second, two second, nothing happened. And then, out of nowhere, of ball of chakra encircled them and ate them…

Moments later, Sakura woke up next to Ino. They were in a meadow, alone. Tall grass was all around them, they couldn't see anything but green one meter away.

"Do you think it has something to do with the fact that the liquid was green?" Sakura asked.

"How should I know?… Maybe the boys are not far, we should go and look for them."

As they started walking through the tall grass, Sakura's thoughts began wandering. _'One boy is too far away to be with us… This game isn't perfect without him.' _

'_**What are you talking about? He is here.'**_

'_Not you again… __You know we're not talking about the same boy… And I'm not going to argue with you again. We love Sasuke-kun, end of discussion!'_

'_**No we don't… Well, maybe you think YOU do but I know I don't. Naruto-kun is the best!'**_

'_Stop calling him that, it's giving me headaches.'_

'_**Think what you want, you'll see someday…'**_

'_Shut up, I…' _

"I wonder which one of us will have his test…"

"Yeah…"

When Ino spoke, Sakura lifted her head and raised her eyebrows.

"Well, stop wondering Ino, and look at this: I think you will know."

Ino moved her head toward where Sakura was standing. What she saw was simply unbelievable: sweet, chocolate, tons and tons of food everywhere. She started laughing and laughing without being able to stop. Finally, she turned to face Sakura: "Yeah, I know now, it's for Choji…"

"Hey girls, there you are! Are you okay? Choji seems a bit distant. He keeps saying he's smelling something, look at him." He turned around to show but Choji had disappeared. "Where did he go now?"

"I think I know… Look" said Ino.

When Shikamaru saw the abundance of the food, he nearly fainted. "This isn't good, really isn't good. We have to stop Choji from eating anything."

"Too late I think, but we may be able to stop him from eating anything else."

The three of them started to run towards Choji who was already eating BBQ chicken mixed with candies.

"How can he eat that? I'm going to throw up soon," said Sakura feeling nauseous.

"Sakura-chan! Are you okay? I want to show you something, come."

"Naruto! There you are, I was becoming worried."

"Don't be, Sakura-chan, I'm always okay, and I can take care of myself!"

"I know Naruto, I know… So, what do you want to show me?"

"This…"

In front of them stood a giant bowl of ramen. Naruto was radiant and couldn't keep his eyes of the bowl. Suddenly, he started running towards what seemed to be a ladder to enter the bowl. When he touched the ladder, he felt someone pulling him away.

"Don't touch it, don't eat it baka."

"But why, Sakura-chan? One of my favorite dreams has just come true!"

Sakura looked at him and sighed: "Shikamaru said we have to stop Choji from eating anything, I think I have to stop you from eating that ramen. This might be a trap, we have to be careful."

Naruto was now becoming sad and Sakura hated that, especially when she knew she was the cause of it… "I promise I'll buy you a bowl of ramen tomorrow okay?"

"Thanks Sakura-chan," said Naruto, happy again, and already enjoying what he thought was maybe a date. He grinned at her, "Let's go stop Choji."

___

"Where have you been? We barely could control Choji. If he eats, we just can't imagine what is going to happen. Thanks to my shadow possession technique, Ino was able to cast her jutsu and Choji is controlled by Ino."

"And what now? What is Choji supposed to do? We cannot control him forever, or we will not return to the real world…"

"I know, Sakura, I know…" Shikamaru put his hands together and started to think. Everybody kept quiet for a long time, sure Shikamaru was going to find something that will make them go back.

"I don't know."

"What? But you always find something. What happened to you?"

"Stop it Naruto. The last thing we need is an argument."

"Yeah, you're right, we have to decide what to do with Choji," said a deep voice coming from Choji's body.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Why is Choji talking about himself?"

SLAP! Naruto went flying meters away. Sakura, her fist clenched, was panting. "Baka, it's Ino."

"Oh, sorry, but no need to hit me Sakura-chan…"

"Yes I do… to ease my nerve."

'_**To touch him… and make him understand you like him… but that's not the way to do it if you ask me…'**_

"I DID NOT ask you anything!"

"Sakura-chan, are you okay? I didn't say anything…" said Naruto more afraid than ever.

"So… Ino, can you talk to Choji while you're in his body? To try to make him understand he has to stop eating until we figure out what to do."

"I can try… My father just explained to me that it's something we are able to do but I've never actually done it myself. I have to concentrate on Choji and materialize his soul in front of me. Then it should be possible for all of us to talk to him, but it has a risk… If I cannot manage to return him to his body, we will lose him forever."

"Then we cannot take the risk," decided Sakura.

"Well, it's not like we lose him but his soul will be free for an instant and then will find another object or body to live in. And it's almost impossible to find him and return him to his real body."

"Can I trap him in my shadow possession jutsu while you make him return? Like that it will be impossible for him to go…"

"Maybe… Has your dad told you of you can control a soul with your technique?"

"No, but…"

"There are too many ifs… We cannot risk Choji's life like this," interrupted Naruto, "I suggest that Ino release him and then we hit him until he cannot move… That way, we could talk to him without risking his life. I mean, his life is more precious than a few punch, no?"

Shikamaru looked at Naruto with an eyebrow raised and finally said: "I agree but what if Choji resists and attacks us? I know it's four against one but we cannot take that risk too…"

"So… what do we do?" asked Sakura exasperated. "We're not going to be all night here. Do I need to remember you that we have four drinks to go after this one? We're going to be stuck in this game for months!"

"Okay then, let's try to talk to Choji," said Naruto, "but if something happens, it's not my fault…"

Ino closed her eyes and started making signs. Everybody stopped breathing. Ino was continuing making signs, one after the other, faster and faster. It seems it was never going to stop. And then, all of a sudden, she opened her eyes and fog started to form in front of her. The fog was becoming distinct and they could discern the outline of Choji's body. When Choji was totally formed, Shikamaru made his shadow possession jutsu to catch Choji but soon realize it was going to be impossible because the soul was not making any shadow. "I can't control him… you better do it correctly Ino."

"Thanks a lot, I'm even more stressed now…"

They waited a few moments more, during which Naruto didn't stop complaining. At last, Choji seemed to be moving and he opened his eyes. Shikamaru was the first to talk: "Choji, can you hear me?"

He didn't answer.

"Choji, please, hear me, please… Can you hear me Choji, please?"

Still no answer.

"Why? Why isn't it working?" Ino was becoming more and more depressed. She was losing her control and, without Shikamaru and Sakura, she would have lost Choji fast. "INO!!"

"It's okay, it's alright, I've got him."

"What is happening?" Finally, Choji was talking. He seemed to have forgotten what had happened in the few hours. Naruto explained him that Kakashi had given them liquid chakra and that he had drunk it. Now, they were in Choji's world and it was up to him to bring them back. They didn't have any idea how for the moment but they knew that he had to stop eating. As Naruto was telling the story, Choji started to remember the night. Kakashi, the chakra encircling them, the food, and Shikamaru's jutsu. "I understand, I'll stop eating… even if the BBQ chicken was excellent…" Choji smiled. "and also the chocolate thing…" Shikamaru turned his head towards Ino. She then made some signs and Choji disappeared again. They all held their breath. When they saw Choji coming back to life, they were all very relieved. But then, Sakura shouted and started crying. Naruto looked at her and quickly understood what had happened. Ino was still not moving. That only meant that she hadn't returned to her body. "Where are you Ino-pig? Please come back..." Naruto ran towards Sakura and took her in his arms. "Please don't cry Sakura-chan, it hurts… We're going to do something, I promise. We're going to find a way to bring her back."

__**_ **

**AN: Please tell me what you think and if you want me to continue. Don't expect quick updates... I'll still try to update weekly.  
Reviews please !  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:**** Here is another chapter, hope you will enjoy it! **

Chapter 2:

Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji and a broken Sakura were walking through the delicious world trying to find their lost friend. Where to look? They had no idea. When will she be lost forever? They didn't know. Will they be able to bring her back? They sure hoped so... But, they had already passed two hours searching for her without success... Naruto was becoming more and more crazy: jumping everywhere, looking under every sweet. Sakura, her, was becoming more and more depressed and especially annoyed. She looked at Naruto wanting to slap him. _**'Slap him? More kiss him...'**_

'_You're not going to start with that? I don't like him, well, not that way. He's my best friend and I don't want to lose him...'_

'_**See, you care about him, and he cares about you.'**_

'_You don't know that. He likes me like a friend, like I do. Nothing more between us, you have to trust me...'_

'_**How can I? I'm your inner self, I know more about you than you do...'**_

'_Of course.'_

"Hey Sakura-chan, you're okay? You seem out... I'm going to find her, even if I have to eat all of this world..."

"I'm okay Naruto, don't worry." _**'Maybe you shouldn't tell him that... he may take you in his arms again!'**_ Sakura lifted her eyebrows. "She's never going to stop is she?"

"Who?" asked Naruto intrigued.

"Hum… hehe… nobody…"

"I'm seriously concerned here… you're sure you're okay?"

"Yes! Now, stop asking me if I'm okay."

"Okay but you're sure?"

"I'm going to kill you!!!!"

"STOOOOP it you two... you're going to make me go crazy! Just shut up for a moment would you?"

Choji approached Naruto and Sakura and whispered: "You really done it. I've never seen him like this, he's the guy you watched the clouds you know… he never ever ever ever shouted at someone. This is becoming fun! But maybe you should help him carry Ino's body."

"I am! I'm keeping her body in a good condition thanks to my medical training…" answered Sakura offended.

"And I…, well I…"

"Look at this," interrupted Shikamaru. "It looks like a cave. We've been walking next to a mountain for a while, I thought we would find something to enter it. Ino must be in there, I don't see anything else. There will be Choji's test: it will allow us to take back Ino and to go back to reality. Now, we must be careful when we enter the cave, it may be full of traps… We have to be ready for anything. Choji, you must stop yourself from eating anything. To help you, you will carry Ino, you are also the best to protect her if we're attacked. Sakura, you stay next to him to keep healing her body. Naruto, you go in front: you're the best to attack quickly and to force through the enemy. I'll be at the back. Like that, if we're attacked from behind, I will cast my shadow possession on them. Everybody understood?"

"Yes"

"Yes"

"Okay, it seems okay."

"Let's go then."

___

It had already been one hour and they had found nothing: no food, no trap, nobody. The cave was straight, no curves, and it was darker and darker. Without Sakura's medical jutsu, they would have long been in darkness. Naruto was looking in every direction, trying to find a trap but he was so noisy and moving everywhere that he would have certainly be caught in the trap instead of preventing it. Ino's body was weaker and weaker, as was Shikamaru's mind… He was not so sure about himself anymore. He didn't know if it was in this mountain that they would find Ino. He didn't know if he had to decide to go back or to carry on walking in the cave. They were lost in an ocean of darkness, and Shikamaru didn't like that at all. "Everybody down! Someone is throwing us food!" For a second, when Naruto shouted, Shikamaru was frightened but then he quickly reacted and imprisoned the enemy with his shadow. He was hiding behind a rock. Shikamaru walked towards him and appeared a small girl. "It's Ino!" said Sakura surprised.

"Where?" asked Choji happy.

"There!"

"Where?"

"It's Ino when she was small, can't you recognize her?"

"Now that you mention it…" whispered Shikamaru who didn't know what to think anymore. "This world is stranger than ever…" He released his jutsu and walked towards Ino. "Is it really you?"

With a light and childish voice, Ino answered coldly: "I don't know you… I'm just here to eat with Choji. Come on, we have to go or we're going to be late. You're not going to say no to your best friend, are you?"

"I… I… well, I shouldn't eat much you know. I have to find a way to bring us all back."

"But to eat with me is the way to go back."

"You're sure? If it is, no problem, I'm coming…" Choji was hungry and everybody could see it. And moreover, his friend was inviting him to eat with her. How could he say no? It was not polite, was it? He could already see a table full of food: sushi, ramen, chicken, dessert… He was dreaming.

"We're going? It's a 30 minutes' walk. We go now and you can be with your friends in a few hours. You'll see, there's food everywhere, everything you love: it's a place made especially for you!"

"Really? Fantastic, I'm coming right away!"

"No, don't listen to her Choji, she's not the real Ino. She's not my best friend. She's not the girl I know. Please Choji, don't listen to her." Sakura was begging Choji. "On top of that, we have to stay together and…" Ino jumped at Sakura and bit her. "Ouch! You're crazy! What are you thinking? You want me to shut up? Because you know I'm right and that they will listen to me… Stop it Ino-pig! Stop!"

"Come on Sakura, if she says I have to go to bring Ino back, I will."

"You cannot believe her! You saw what this world can do. It knows you and does whatever it takes to destroy you. It uses your feelings to get you. This girl is not our Ino, she was created by this world."

"I'm Ino! Let's go Choji." Choji didn't move. "What are you waiting for?"

"Sakura's right. I won't listen to you. I won't eat, It won't bring you back," said Choji sadly. "You're my best friend like you said… and I will stop eating for a week if it brings you back. I will always chose you over food." Suddenly, little Ino started transforming and merging with Ino's body and then, she woke up. "INO! I'm so happy…"

"What happened, why is Ino here? I thought we had to fight to get her back?" asked Naruto almost disappointed.

"Baka, the test was for Choji to reveal his true feelings towards Ino… and food!" Sakura had tears in her eyes. "It's so beautiful… Come on, we have to go… find a way back out of the mountain and maybe back to the real world."

Just before Sakura could finish her sentence, the ball of chakra came back and once again, encircled them. Seconds later, they were in the restaurant where it had all begin. Kakashi was here, smiling... "It's been a whole night, I was becoming worried. You're not too tired? It's five in the morning."

___

"I'm not playing that 'game' again, no way! Did you see what that world can do? It's madness to want to go again. I'm going to bed."

"Ino!!" All the other four shouted at the same time. "We have to continue. And it's fun!" Naruto was the only to say that that time. "Well, it's interesting?"

Kakashi began talking: "I forgot to tell you that once you started the game, you cannot quit until you've drunk the fives drinks of liquid chakra. I guess I can tell you I'm sorry," seeing Ino's eyes flaming, "so... you're kind of obliged to do it. But you're not forced to drink this glass... you can wait for now."

"Okay then... who wants to drink the fabulous liquid chakra?" asked Ino ironically, "I'm sure you are going to fight for it..."

"Actually, I would like to drink it," said Sakura, surprising everybody.

"You really want to do it? Why?"

"Well, if it allows us to discover our feelings or to be better, I think it's wonderful. I mean, do you know something that can help you that way? This liquid chakra knows our deepest fear, thoughts or wish. I know it's not going to be easy, that we may be put in difficult or dangerous situations but it may be worth it."

"It's true... I didn't think you will understand it that fast but this game allows, in fact, to know more about yourselves. Every generation has played this game, every ninja, because it helps them in battles. To know ourselves deeply can change a battle: I learned in that game that teamwork is very important. I wouldn't let my team down, never." Sakura had again tears in her eyes so Kakashi decided to stop talking and to let them play.

Naruto hadn't understood everything but he agreed that teamwork was important. When Sakura filled the glass, everybody was shocked: the chakra wasn't green anymore, it was dark red. "Apparently, everyone doesn't get the same colour." _'Why isn't Sakura's pink? It would have matched her hair, which I love by the way.'_ Naruto looked left, where the ball of chakra would surely come. _'Why isn't it here already? It didn't take that long last time. Maybe it's like the colour, nobody gets the same... I hope nothing bad is going to happen to Sakura-chan... I'm worried...' _Naruto didn't finish his thought. He was hit by something from behind and lost consciousness.

'_Where am I? How long has it been since I was hit? I hope everyone is okay...'_ Naruto heard a door opening and looked where the sound had come from. Quickly, he was relieved. "Sakura-chan, what happened?"

"You're in a hospital bed. You were hit and brought here. You're okay now, I'm here."

"What's wrong Sakura? You don't seem right..."

"Don't talk, you're still weak. I'm going to look after you, don't worry."

"Okay." Naruto closed his eyes. _'What's wrong with her, I don't recognize her. She's strange. Her eyes are scaring me, as she's going to kill me. How can I think that of Sakura-chan? It must be the hit I received. She's right, I'm tired and I'm going crazy.' _He slowly fall into sleep but just before leaving for good, he thought that something was clearly not right with Sakura.

Talking about Sakura, she was in a dark corridor... She looked around her_. 'I don't remember this place, I don't think I've came here.'_ She walked and walked during a few minutes and around a corner, she saw something she thought she would never see. "Help! Help! How is it possible? Not you, please not you! I don't want to see you..."

___

**AN: Reviews please. And tell me if you want me to continue...  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Sorry for not updating sooner, I had a lot to do... Please enjoy this chapter.**

___ 

Chapter 3:

"Wake up Naruto. It's your day out! We are going to eat some ramen. It will be your first walk since you were brought in the hospital, you should be happy."

'_She really freaks me out. Why can she be like before? I would give anything for a punch in the face. And no way I'm going out with her... If I don't open my eyes, she'll never know I'm awake. This is a marvellous plan!'_

"I know you're awake, I'm a medical ninja... So don't play dumb with me. Stand up and come with me."

Naruto opened his eyes. _'Is it going to work one day? I do hope so but I think she sees through my plan... I should find another one. This one is not so marvellous...'_ Naruto stood up, put his headband on and walked slowly towards Sakura. _'I'm going to try to escape while we're outside, I feel like a prisoner inside this hospital. This may be my only chance.'_ Both of them started walking through the corridors. They both knew something was going to happen but they had no idea the other one was preparing their thing. Naruto was trying to find a way to escape, another corridor, a door, a window... Sakura was preparing, to be honest, what she was preparing since she had started watching Naruto. If Naruto knew what she was up to, he would have run as fast as he could even if there was no exit. But, Naruto unfortunately, cannot read Sakura's mind and so, he was still walking and looking all around him. "When will we be out? I cannot even see a glimpse of light. There's no windows and the corridors are very dark. What is this hospital? It's not Konoha's" She didn't answer anything. Naruto sighed and turned his head. _'What happened to her, I can't believe it's her...'_ Moments later, they were in front of a door. Sakura turned the handle and pushed Naruto in the room. "Oh... I forgot to tell you..." Her eyes were burning and her smile was mischievous; she lowered her voice, "we're not in a hospital."

___

"Where are we?" asked Shikamaru to his teammates. After Sakura had drunk the glass, Shikamaru heard a thud and then realized he was in a dark corridor. He was alone, like before, so he decided to search for everyone. Ino and Choji were also alone and it wasn't long before they had found each other walking through this so-called hospital. Shikamaru, around a corner had found Ino seated and her eyes closed. He had panicked at first, believing she had once again disappeared but he quickly realized she was just afraid. Indeed, Ino was frightened and was almost crying, saying she would never ever play that 'game' again. Apart from that, she hadn't spoken since they were together and it was pretty worrying considering Ino's personality. Minutes later, they had found Choji who seemed to be enjoying an afternoon walk. When he joined them, he was amused by Ino but tried to appear calm and serious. He was the one to answer to Shikamaru's question: "How should we know, you're the genius and you have no idea. Most importantly, we should try to find Naruto and Sakura… they might be in danger. I mean, I know they are capable of defending themselves but what if it's from something they don't want to attack? Look what happened to me, it used Ino to make me do something I don't want. It could be the same with Naruto or Sakura… We don't care where we are, we…"

"No we don't." Ino had finally spoken. She lowered her head, "From the beginning, when we arrived here, I had the feeling I knew this place but I just couldn't name it. I tried to forget it but with this place come a feeling of danger, determination and also warmth. And then, just now, it hit me. I remember when I was in this place. Like I told you, I've already came here, during the chuunin exam."

Shikamaru and Choji looked at her intrigued. They had still not understood what place she was referring to. They were getting impatient, "Where are we?"

"We're in Sakura's mind and precisely in her inner-self."

___

Naruto was really beginning to panic. After Sakura had announced his was stuck in a non-hospital, she had locked the door and left him alone in the room. He had called her, hit the door, yelled, but nothing had happened. He was finally calm but now fear was replacing anger. He tried to think of how to get out but in vain. _'I have to calm down, there must be a logic explanation of Sakura's behaviour. She must be controlled... Now I have to think of how to get out of here or I can't save her. The door is locked, there no windows... I... I...'_ Naruto felt the anger coming back but he couldn't stop it. One tail appeared, then two... _'I must stop this, I can't transform now.'_ Four... Five... He started banging against the walls and ripping the door but the kyuubi had no effect on the room. Seeing that, Naruto stopped in an instant but lost consciousness.

"Did you hear that? Was it coming from there?"

"I'm sorry Shikamaru but, unlike you, when I hear such a noise, I don't want to go near it."

"You're stupid Ino or what? Sakura or Naruto could be in danger. We have to go there."

"Or... you're stupid because you forgot that this place controls everything, so maybe it wants us to go there, but it's a bad idea..."

"Whatever... I'm going."

"Sorry Ino," said Choji, "I'm going with him."

"Fine, fine... I'm coming too."

The three then walked towards the room where the sound had come from. They tried to open it but it was closed. "Something happened in there... we have to enter."

"Let me." Choji transformed in an enormous ball and hit the door as hard as he could. One hit, two hit, three hit. There wasn't a scratch on the door. "Stop Choji, I have an idea." Ino and Choji looked at Shikamaru puzzled. Shikamaru made his shadow jutsu, went below the door and then in the lock. He turned it and the door opened. It was very dark inside, they couldn't see anything. Choji entered firstand walked slowly, afraid to encounter something not very nice. Shikamaru followed him and went left. Finally, Ino walked in. She moved forward and bumped into something. "NARUTO!" She quickly started healing him and the two boys came to see what had made Ino shouted. Seeing him like that, they had the same idea. "We have to get out of here! Ino, heal him fast so we can go."

"Okay, I'm almost finish already, he doesn't seem he had been attacked, more like if he fainted of exhaustion."

"We should still go, don't you think?"

"Yes but not too far, what if Sakura is near here?"

"It's not good news." Naruto had spoken and they were very surprised by what he just said. There was an awkward silence. Ino was the first to answer: "What do you mean it's not good news?"

"Well, haven't you seen Sakura since we came here?"

"No we just found you."

"But how many days have you been here?"

"Days??? We were in this maze for maybe a half a day maximum. How long has it been for you?"

"If what Sakura told me is true, one week."

"One week?? How is that possible?" The four of them didn't know what to say or think anymore. They had different time notion? Shikamaru, confused, asked Naruto: "You say you've seen Sakura, then why do you want to avoid her?"

"She's strange and when I mean strange, it's strange." Shikamaru lifted an eyebrow. "Could you be more specific?"

"Well, first of all, she locked me in this room, confessing she was lying to me from the beginning, that we were not in a hospital."

"A hospital? I don't understand."

"I'll tell you what happened to me, but first we have to get out of here."

"Okay, you'll tell us on the way."

Naruto started telling them his story, the hit he had received, Sakura, the hospital, the strange behaviour and what happened the morning. After hearing all that, they all had the same reaction: "This is not Sakura!" Ino looked at the boys: "Or... it could..." But she didn't have the time to finish.

"There you are! I've looked for you everywhere baka. Where were you?"

"Oh no, there she is again..." Sakura was in front of them, scolding Naruto.

"Come with me Naruto, I have to tell you something."

"I'm not coming with you anywhere."

Sakura stopped speaking for a second and looked at her three friends. "Why are you looking at me like that? WHY?" Sakura was losing her temper.

"Because they know you're not Sakura." Everyone turned their head towards the new comer and with surprise, they realize it was another Sakura...

[**"blablabla"**: second Sakura talking]

"Come on, they know the real one is me! And I'm not afraid of you anymore so do what you want, I don't care."

"**Who are you to talk to me like that? I'm the real Sakura."**

Naruto was pretty lost. "What is happening?"

Ino, as the best friend, was the only one who could answer: "It's what I feared... One of them is the inner Sakura, a part of Sakura that nobody knows. She's here to tell Sakura something but not really in a nice way. I don't think she's bad or evil but she's playing a game to help Sakura. The other one is the 'real' Sakura meaning she's the one we know, the one who came with us."

"And how are we supposed to know which one is the real one?"

"That, my friend, I don't know. But I think that it's up to you..."

"**Naruto, I'm the real one, I know everything about you."**

"That's easy to say... being my inner self, you know everything I know."

"**Then I have to find something you don't know."**

"You won't but I have something."

"**Oh yeah? And what's that?"**

"Naruto... I wanted to tell you something before she arrived, you remember?"

"Hum... yes"

"Well, actually, it was to tell you I've finally realized... that... that..."

"What?"

"... that ... I love you"

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**AN: Hope you liked it. Please tell me**** what you think... Reviews please!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I'm am so so so sorry for not updating before. I don't have any excuse except that I'm lazy (that doesn't count as an excuse, does it?). Well, I hope you will read and enjoy this chapter anyway. Sorry again, there's the new chapter.**

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[**"blablabla"**: second Sakura talking]

"I love you." After saying it once, Sakura had finally managed to get out her feelings. "Yes, I love you Naruto."

"You... love... ME? But I thought... Sasuke..."

"**That's ridiculous!"**

"What is? It's something you don't know, meaning I'm the real Sakura, because I found out during the time we stayed here and you were not in my head."

"**It's stupid! She's my inner-self and she's inventing things just to pretend she's the real one."** The second Sakura moved towards Naruto. **"****I'm the real Sakura, you know I'll never act like this with you. I don't like you. I'll never say something like that. I love Sasuke-kun."**

He looked at her and answered: "I know, you're right, Sakura will never say something like that to me. She would never say that she doesn't like me, and that proves me you're not the real Sakura! Sakura would never hurt me like you just did: she's my best friend and even if she loves Sasuke, she's not the girl who didn't care about me anymore." Saying that, Naruto hit the Sakura next to him and in a puff, she disappeared. He then looked at the real Sakura and smiled. She ran towards him and jumped in his arms. "Thank you."

_Flashback to when Sakura drank the glass._

After drinking the glass, Sakura woke up in a big room. There was eight doors total, two on each walls. In front of her stood a giant statue representing a broken heart. On it was written a phrase in a language she couldn't understand. Looking around her, she noticed the doors and decided to open one. Behind it was a long and dark corridor. After a few minutes, around a corner, she faced another Sakura who said: "Hello, nice to finally see you..." Hearing that, she recognized her inner self and she screamed. "Help! Help! Not you, please not you! I don't want to see you..." Tears were running down her cheeks. "When I hear you, a part of me is always scared of what you are going to say. You are always right about me and I'm scared I won't like what you are going to tell me."

"Don't worry. I'm not here to harm you. I'm just guiding you to make you realize something. Don't be afraid."

"You're only telling me that so I will come with you..."

"I'm not and I don't need you to come with me, just go in that direction." She pointed to the end of the corridor. "There is a room where you will understand lots of things. Go!"

Sakura looked at her unsure but she finally nodded and started walking towards the end of the corridor. It didn't seem to end. She looked back and nobody was behind her. Sakura sighed. _'Why did I listen to her anyway? It's not like she's good to me or anything. She's just annoying all the time. Why am I using '_she_'? This voice is a part of me, that means I'm annoying?! ...... I'm just going crazy in a dark corridor, talking to myself, great!'_ Her thoughts were stopped when she saw a door in front of her. She opened it and... _'That is just terrific.' _She was in the same room where she had woken up a little while ago. _'So... this is the room. What am I supposed to do now? It's the exact same room! Wait...... something is different... that's it! There are only six doors left. The one I took first and the one I used to come back disappeared. That means I need to look into the six others.'_

Walking towards one of the six doors left, she caught a glimpse of the phrase that was written on the broken heart. To her surprise, she could now read the beginning: "When you were a genin,..." _'That's strange'_ Intrigued, she eyebrows frowned but she continued to walk and opened a door. In front of her was a giant bubble where people seemed to be evolving. She looked a little more precisely and discovered it was her she was a genin. She was climbing a tree for the first time and was very proud of herself. Under the trees, Naruto was cheering: "Incredible!! You go, Sakura! That's my girl!!!" but Sasuke didn't seem to care. Then the image changed, it was something that had happened before. She could see her younger self on a bench and Sasuke walking towards her. She remembered this day: it was the day she discovered she really loved Sasuke. But, the scene in front of her wasn't really what she remembered: she could see Naruto tying up Sasuke and making her believe it was him. _'It was Naruto? I can't believe that! That...' _But the image changed again. This time, it was during the first part of the chuunin exam. The tenth question had been asked and people had already given up. Sakura could hear herself think: "But Naruto... you're different. It'd be foolish to sacrifice yourself forever for our sakes... I'm sorry Naruto, you're dream may be crazy... but I don't want it taken away from you forever." She was about to raise her hand when.... And the image disappeared. Sakura had a smile on her face. She closed the door silently and proceed to the next door. But before, she took a second to read the message on the heart. Some words had been translated again: "When you were a genin, he was there..." She smiled again _'Yeah, he was there.' _

Sakura opened the second door on the left. A bubble was there too. She watched attentively. The moment she saw was also during the chuunin exam but she was trapped in a hand in sand. Gaara was battling Naruto while she was trapped and she remembered fainting. For the first time, she saw the extraordinary battle between Naruto and Gaara. At the end, when, she closed the door, a light tear could be seen in her eye. She moved to the message again. "When you were a genin, he was there. When you were taken by sand, he was there..."

The third door was a difficult part. She just wanted to close her eyes as Sasuke's departure was playing in front of her but her eyes didn't obey her. She stared at the bubble, incapable of doing anything. But, she saw something else too... Naruto, promising her he will take Sasuke back, and doing anything he could to make her feel better. "When you were a genin, he was there. When you were taken by sand, he was there. When you were heartbroken, he was there..." The next one was a little bit more cheerful: it was when Naruto came back to Konoha to find a grow-up Sakura. "When you were a genin, he was there. When you were taken by sand, he was there. When you were heartbroken, he was there. When you grew up, he was there..."

Sakura looked around her and noticed there were only two doors left. _'Well, let's go!'_ She opened one of them. The bubble was still there. In it, she saw herself, first, helping Naruto to eat when he was hurt; then, giving him tips to how to climb trees; caring for him when he told her he had the Kyuubi inside him; and helping Naruto fighting Sasuke. Once again, she closed the door and looked at the phrase. It was now complete and she could read: "When you were a genin, he was there. When you were taken by sand, he was there. When you were heartbroken, he was there. When you grew up, he was there. When he needed you, you were there. Now he needs you, so be there."

That's when she started to run, taking the last door. _'How come I never realized? He always loved me! And I always cared about him. Was Sasuke blinding my true feelings? I do not hope it's not too late... I care about him... a lot... I... I ... I love him.' _She looked for him everywhere, she searched every corridors and every room; and then, she saw him, with Ino, Shikamaru and Choji. "There you are! I've looked for you everywhere baka. Where were you?"

_End Flashback_

Sakura looked at Naruto's eyes. They were a light blue and they were watching her tenderly. She blushed a little. "That's how I knew I love you." Naruto leaned forward and she moved closer to him. His lips were calling for her and she just couldn't say no. So, in a flash, she put her lips on his and kissed him with passion. He responded to kiss and they moved together in unison, forgetting all that was around them. He grabbed her head with his hand and brought her closer to him. They deepened the kiss as Sakura put her arms around him...

"Hey hey you two... you do remember where we are and most importantly that we are here?" Ino was laughing between every word. They broke apart and Naruto whispered, "I love you too."

Suddenly, light came back and it was a moment until their eyes got used to the brightness after spending so much time in darkness.

"Well well, look whose back!" They were greeted by a very happy Kakashi. Seeing Naruto and Sakura holding hands, he added, "Looks like they have finally found each other..."

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"Oh come on Ino, you're not going to start again are you? You know full well we have to drink the five glasses, and we've only drank two. So stop complaining and come over here now or we are going to be playing the game for years!"

"Okay, okay, I just don't want to drink it yet."

"Fine, I'll do it." They all turned to Shikamaru. "Okay, it's decided then."

Ino was talking again: "I wonder what colour it's going to be for you Shika?"

"Who knows? Let's see." Shikamaru filled his glass. "Well, didn't think it could be possible but it has three colours." The liquid chakra had first been blue then pink and finally red. The colours didn't mix. Shikamaru sighed. "This is going to be very very troublesome." And, he drank it.

Everything started to shake and all of them began turning. A few turn later, Shikamaru realized he was all alone. He was in a big and bright room. On top was written 'CHOICE'. Suddenly, two doors opened, exactly at the same distance from him. In one of them, a ninja had a kunai at Ino's throat and in the other one, it was Choji who had a kunai at his throat. At the same time, the two ninja started counting backwards "I'm going to kill him/her in 5, 4, 3, 2 ..." Shikamaru looked right, looked left, trying to decide which on to save but he just couldn't. "STOP IT." "1" "NOOOO!" Shikamaru started running toward Ino but he saw in his mind Choji being executed so he turned around and ran toward Choji but, then, Ino's execution was present in his mind and he stopped. He was once again in the middle looking right, looking left. And, at the exact same time, "0", his two best friends died, right in front of him.

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**AN: So, what do you think? Please review! Tell me what's good and what's not...  
Thank you.**


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